Litany

Litanies - a prayerful sequence of supplications which are intoned by a deacon or the priest in the name of all those praying. After each petition the choir, or people, sing, "Lord, have mercy," or, "Grant this, O Lord."

Each of litany concludes with an exclamation by the priest glorifying the Holy Trinity.

Contents

Great Litany

Great Litany, or Litany of Peace, begins with the words "In peace, let us pray to the Lord." It contains many different petitions for prosperity and salvation of various groups.

Small Litany

The Small Litany is a shortened form of the Great Litany. It begins with the words: "Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord." It contains three petitions.

Augmented Litany

The Augmented Litany begins with the words "Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy" or "Let us all say..." It is a type of litany where after each petition the choir responds with "Lord, have mercy" thrice. Therefore the litany is termed "augmented," since it is an intensified supplication.